This invention generally relates to a bed of randomly oriented ceramic media used to improve the distribution a fluid by redirecting the fluid over an increasingly larger area as the fluid passes through the bed. More particularly, this invention is directed to a bed topping media, located at one end of a chemical reactor's containment vessel, which redistributes a fluid over a layer of components that may include materials such as catalytically active material, adsorbents or activated carbon.
One example of a patent which discloses fluid distribution materials that may be used to reduce maldistribution of a fluid in a chemical reactor is U.S. Pat. No. 6,291,603.